This past week was our second to last at San Ambrosio.. before beginning the week we had the chance to experience of Pica de Leña. It was this past Saturday, November 14, 2009. It is a festival of woodcutting where people of Nicoya get together to chop wood, load up ox carts (some of them painted) with the wood, dance, sing, and have a parade of the oxcarts and dancing horses through town. It was great fun and exciting to experience another part of the culture here in Nicoya.
During school this week we tested in 1st and 2nd grades. I´m assuming pre-k and kinder students aren´t tested for English.. it would be unnecessary to do so. The students´ English speaking skills are at a bare minimum at the age level I am working with. They do not push themselves.
This week has been good and has gone by really quickly. There was an assembly on Thursday.. none of which I really understood, but everyone prayed together, sang, gave a couple different speeches and let some white balloons go at the end. Friday, today, is Teachers' Day and there were no classes. All the teachers from San Ambrosio got together at one of the 11th grader´s houses and hung out by their pool/poolhouse area. It was a nice change to hang out with the teachers away from the school setting. They made fresh pork rinds, which they had me help to stir around in the big skillet. There was also a lot of dancing and lots of throwing people into the pool, fully clothed.
I´m still enjoying the culture and my time here.
ciao!